Chain ornament



A. BETTER Oct. 14, 1941.

CHAIN ORNAMENT Filed July 10, 1941 AdOlp/z 511M421",

JNVENTOR.

BY 616 mm 64m Arrow). I

Patented Oct. 14, 1941 CHAIN ORNAMENT Adolph Better, New York, N. Y., assignor to Reinad Novelty 00., Inc., New York, N. Y.

Application July 10, 1941,-Serial No. 401,724

6 Claims.

The present invention is concerned with costume jewelry and, more particularly, with bracelets formed of one or more flexible chains.

In bracelets of this character, the chains are usually soldered to terminals which constitute the connecting pieces of the bracelet. It is the main purpose of the present invention to eliminate soldering from the method of connecting the end pieces of a chain bracelet and to effect a connection which affords both strength and an easy assembly. Instead of soldering the chains to the end pieces, the chains are secured to the end pieces by looping the end links of the chains over and around pegs solidly incorporated in the end pieces. Owing to this construction, a bracelet is provided which is capable of resisting any pull to which it may be subjected within the field of its application, and, at the same time, offers a much more pleasing appearance than if the chains had been soldered to the end pieces. Other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the specification which follows and from the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a bottom plan view of one of the embodiments of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a cross section taken along the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of an end piece forming part of the article shown in Figure 1, with the cover plate removed.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the cover plate.

Figure 5 is a bottom plan view of a modified form of an end piece.

Figure 6 is a cross section taken along the line 6-6 of Figure 5.

Referring to the figures in detail, l are flexible chains parallel to one another and 2, 3, are the end pieces by which the chains are formed into a bracelet, necklace, or similar ornament. Each one of the end pieces 2, 3, has a base plate 4 and a cover plate 5. As shown, the end pieces 2 and 3 are box shaped, i. e. they have walls as well as tops and bottoms, but there are only three side walls, one side being open to admit the ends of the chains. However, the walls may be omitted because the cover plates are secured to the base plates independently of the walls, as will be seen presently. From the bottom plate 4 extend upwardly a number of pegs 6, their number being the same as the number of the chains I. The upper portions 8 of the pegs 6 have a reduced diameter and pass through holes l2 in the cover plate 5. The lower portions 1 of the pegs 6 support the cover plate 5 on the shoulders formed by the reduced diameter of the upper portions of the pegs. -The end links I and l of the chains I are looped over and around the pegs 6, after which the cover plates 5 are set in place over the base plates 4, with the upper portions 8 of the pegs 6 through the holes I 2. The tops of the pegs 6 are then swaged upon the cover plates 5 which thus become firmly secured in position, at a distance from the'base plates 4 allowing for the thickness of the chains I admitted into the end pieces 2 and 3 through the open sides. Thus, the ends of the chains 4 are firmly secured to the end pieces 2 and 3, without the need of any soldering, which is entirely eliminated from the assembly of the chains and end pieces. The ribs II on the cover plates 5 define the seats for the cooperating elements 9 and H] of a standard locking device, here shown as composed of a spring tongue 9 engageable in the opening of the catch l0. The locking device may be secured to the end pieces by soldering.

While a plurality of chains is shown in the illustrations herein, obviously, the device may be used equally well with a single chain. Also, it is obvious that any form of flexible linkage may be used, not necessarily chains, whether single or multiple. Nor is the invention restricted to bracelets. It is equally applicable to other ornaments of a similar nature, such, for instance, as necklaces and the like.

In Figures 5 and 6, a variant of the invention is shown. Here the end pieces are provided with decorative frames suitable for jewel settings. As shown, the end pieces are extended into frames l3 provided with sockets I4 for jewel setting. In this construction, the seats l5 for the cooperating elements of the locking device are, preferably, on the extension frames l3 instead of the main bodies of the end pieces, but it must not be assumed that this particular arrangement is always necessary or preferable. Since the locking arrangement is not a part of the present invention, it is deemed unnecessary to expand on all possible arrangements which may be adapted for the locking of the bracelet, nor is it deemed necessary to enumerate all possible variations of the present invention, such as would naturally suggest themselves to those familiar with the art. It is to be remembered, however, that the illustrations here shown are only illustrations and not intended to limit the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

I claim:

1. An ornament composed of a plurality of parallel, flexible linkages and end pieces, each end piece having a base plate and a cover plate secured parallel thereto at a distance allowing for the thickness of said linkages, a plurality of pegs secured in said end pieces between said base plates and said cover plates, each one of said pegs passing through an end link of one of said linkages, and means for releasably locking said end pieces to one another.

2. An ornament composed of a plurality of parallel, flexible chains and end pieces, each end piece having a base plate and a cover plate secured parallel thereto at a distance allowing for the thickness of said chains, a number of pegs equal to the number of said chains integral with and at right angles to said base plates, the links of each one of said chains being looped over and around one of said pegs in each end piece, and

means for releasably locking said end pieces to one another.

3. A bracelet composed of a plurality ofparallel, flexible chains and box-like end pieces, each end piece having a base plate, a coverplate and three side walls, one side being open to admit the ends of said chains, a number of pegs equal to the number of said chains integral with and at right angles to said base plates, the upper portions of said pegs having a reduced diameter and projecting beyond said cover plates, said cover plates being provided with openings for the passage of said upper portions of the pegs and resting upon the lower portions thereof, and the tops of said pegs being swaged upon said cover plates to secure them in place, the end links of each one of said chains being looped over and around one of said pegs in each end piece, and means 1 for releasably locking said end pieces to one another.

4. A bracelet composed of a plurality of parallel, flexible chains and end pieces, each end piece having a base plate and a cover plate secured parallel thereto at a distance allowing for the thickness of said chains, a number of pegs equal to the number of said chains secured in said end pieces between said base plates and said cover plates, each one of said pegs passing through an end link of one of said chains, a frame on one side of each end piece integral therewith and forming an extension thereof provided with sockets for jewel setting, and means on said extension frames for releasably locking said end pieces to one another.

' 5. An ornament composed of a plurality of parallel, flexible linkages and end pieces, each end piece having a base plate and a cover plate secured parallel thereto at a distance allowing for the thickness of said linkages, a plurality of pegs integral with and at right angle to said base plates, each one of said pegs passing through an end link of one of said linkages, a frame on one side of each end piece provided with sockets for jewel setting, and means for releasably locking said end pieces to one another.

6. The method of forming an ornament composed of a plurality of parallel, flexible linkages and end pieces for connecting each linkage end to end, which consists in providing said end pieces with base plates and cover plates secured parallel thereto at a distance allowing for the thickness of said linkages, providing said'base plates with a number of pegs equal to the number of said linkages and having reduced diameters in their upper portions, looping one end link of each linkage over and around a peg in one end piece and the other end link of the linkage over and around the corresponding pegin the other end piece, punching holes in said cover plate for the passage of the upper portions of said pegs, resting said cover plate upon the lower portions of the pegs, swaging the tops of said pegs upon the cover plates, and providing said end pieces with a locking device to releasably lock them to one another.

ADOLPI-I BETTER. 

